Multnomah County, OR. — Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson declared an emergency on Dec. 12 citing ongoing impacts from federal immigration enforcement, stating harm and fear has been caused by actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The emergency declaration, issued as Executive Rule 432, is intended to provide increased flexibility and direction as the County responds to reported effects on residents, workforce participation, and access to services. County officials state that more than 13% of Multnomah County residents were born outside the United States.
According to the County, heightened federal enforcement has led some residents—particularly in immigrant and mixed-status families—to avoid work, school, public transportation, County services, and medical appointments due to fear of enforcement activity. The County asserts these conditions have contributed to a measurable decline in workforce participation.
Declaring an emergency authorizes several actions, including continued adherence to Oregon’s sanctuary statutes, direction for County employees to perform or facilitate emergency services, and the ability to suspend purchasing rules to accelerate resource deployment. The declaration also requests emergency assistance from the State of Oregon, including financial relief for affected families and small businesses, expanded access to food, housing, and mental health services, and support for nonprofits facing increased demand.
The County further called on state leaders and Oregon’s congressional delegation to publicly denounce unconstitutional actions and prioritize comprehensive immigration reform.
The declaration precedes a resolution introduced by Chair Vega Pederson and Shannon Singleton, District 2 Commissioner, to reaffirm and strengthen Multnomah County’s Sanctuary County status. The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to consider the resolution and an emergency funding allocation of $250,000 on Dec. 18 to support human and legal services related to federal actions.
County leaders also announced a virtual town hall and listening session planned for Dec. 15 to gather community feedback on proposed sanctuary policy updates.
Multnomah County officials said the emergency declaration builds on prior actions taken this year, including investments in food assistance and the establishment of an Emergency Operations Center to monitor ICE activity and related community impacts. The County also launched a new website, multco.us/federal, outlining its response to federal actions and available resources.
County staff reported coordinating with regional partners—including the cities of Portland, Salem, Woodburn, and Hillsboro, as well as Washington County—that have taken similar actions in response to federal immigration enforcement.
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